It’s the 7th annual Tunes & Oats Best Albums of the Year!
Check out my top picks of the year👇🏽
Also, FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸
This year was monumental for me. I got into my career. Brought in a new kitty. And I started cohosting Left of the Dial on KFCF as DJ sbcglobal. Check us out Sunday nights @ 9pm for new indie music!
Some Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music replay stats:
It’s also worth mentioning that streaming platforms, especially Spotify, pay out artists incredibly low. Let’s keep applying pressure toward these corporations to pay artists more for their work. Until then, keep showing up to concerts and buying merch directly from your favorite bands!
PS my Top Song on Apple music was actually “Complainer” by Choir Boy. “A.D.H.D” was the song that would always play first when I connected my phone to my car 😵💫
With that, check out my top albums of the year!
20. Bar Italia – The Twits
Bar Italia offers a lot on their newest album. They are one of several bands making the list that include a male and female singer in their music. They are what my gf describes as “melodic post punk.”
19. Snow Strippers – April Mixtape 3
Snow Strippers is one of the biggest hyperpop artists of 2023. Their dark electroclash music we hear on April Mixtape 3 would be enjoyed by any Crystal Castle fans.
18. Frost Children – Hearth Room
Frost Children are one of the biggest up-and-coming bands out of the Indie Sleaze Revival scene. They offer soul and emo on their latest album. If you want more of their hyperpop then I would consider checking out their 2022 album SPIRAL.
17. TV Girl – Grapes Upon the Vine
About 99% of Gen Zers know and listen to TV Girl. Grapes Upon the Vine gives much more soul than previous albums. Here, they truly embrace the old-timey vibe that their samples on other projects. It also gives gospel with the choir, backup singer, and religious lyrics that you hear on many of the tracks.
16. Puzzle – The Rotten Opera
This is not the first time that we will see a Shears brother on T&O. Puzzle seems to continue the vibe he started on the 2020 EP Places We Choose Not to Look. It’s that white boy rap with euphoric synths and random samples for me.
15. King Krule – Space Heavy
Archy aka King Krule came out with Space Heavy in early June. I would be remiss to not include one of my gf’s favorite artists on the list. I thought it was a pretty nice album and definitely did not stray away from Archy’s signature jazzy post-punk sound with his deep British voice. I wasn’t too crazy about his only feature on the song “Seagirl” but it was pretty nice seeing him and Raveena perform together in Oakland this year.
14. Yves Tumor – Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
Yves Tumor has been one of my favorite artists for a few years now. In Praise a Lord, it delivers an amalgam of experimental electronic and classic rock art. My favorite song on this album is “Lovely Sewer.” Yves was my 3rd most listened to artist on Spotify in 2023.
13. Enjoy – Exploited
The Garden boys just never seem to take a break. Wyatt Shears’s Exploited comes 3 years after his last Enjoy album. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been hard at work touring and releasing music on his other projects including The Garden, Macabre Plaza, and a live Enjoy collection in late December.
12. Swords II – Spirit World Tour
Swords II is an alternative band from Atlanta. They are helping to lead this newer progressive and synth rock music that has come out of the 2020s. I really dig the balance between the male and female voices in their music. The whole album is really worth a good listen!
11. George Clanton – Ooh Rap I Ya
This is George Clanton’s first album in five years. His vaporwave trip hop record certainly did not disappoint. Much chill and definitely a vibe. Check out his nostalgia invoking tunes on Ooh Rap I Ya. Although, I would not say that he raps in it.
10. Turkey – The Queen’s Diary
This is Fletcher Shears first full album as Turkey. His sound on this project is definitely different than the rap and synth sounds you hear on Puzzle. Turkey is silly and is mostly instrumental with occasional voice samples from pop culture moments and older movies. This is definitely something I think TV Girl fans would appreciate.
9. Slowdive – everything is alive
Get ready to ascend into heaven as you listen to the legendary shoegaze band Slowdive’s newest album since 2017. I was fortunate to see them in LA this year and it was definitely one of my favorite performances of 2023.
8. Male Tears – KRYPT
Male Tears is currently going through band reformation but this album is definitely one of my favorite to come out of the goth and darkwave scene. The whole record is a dance hit and the local DJs definitely have no hesitation playing their stuff. I was also lucky to see them live in Fresno this year.
7. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown- SCARING THE HOES
I don’t know if there was anything else that came out this year that had me weak and made me bang my head. I really appreciate the humor in this and the random samples played throughout Peggy and Danny Brown’s explosive rap album.
6. Club Eat – Start
Club Eat has become one of my favorite artists of the year. She has collabed with Coco + Clair Clair as well as Snow Strippers, who also made it on the list this year. Club Eat sounds like hyperpop indie sleaze that would be played at a club called Club Eat. She also makes slower more heartfelt songs but her latest album Start is full of club bangers. I was fortunate to see her this year and watch her perform her instantly classic song “Clothes,” that you should check out below.
5. Morwan – Svitaye, Palaye
Morwan is a Ukranian post-punk band that Molchat Doma lovers would enjoy. The reason that this album made it to #5 on my list is that the whole record takes you on a journey through the darkwave world. To be honest, I have no idea what the songs talk about as it is in Russian. However, I don’t think that should discourage anyone from checking out Morwan.
4. Ryder Bach – Lode
I don’t know much about Ryder Bach, except that they are from Los Angeles. They have a facebook page with a few likes and a private Instagram account with less than 100 followers. I’m including them on this list because they really blew me away with their latest release. I feel like this album could have something for a wide range of music lovers. It is electronic music and dips into acoustic emo territory. More people should check out Ryder Bach and discover their favorite track on Lode. I have a bunch of favorites but I really vibed to “Reluctant Star Dom,” which since I posted this, has less than 20 views on YouTube.
3. Neggy Gemmy – CBD Reiki Moonbeam
Once I listened to CBD Reiki Moonbeam I knew that it would land a high spot on this list. Neggy Gemmy’s newest album is cute and fun. There are elements of disco and hyperpop in it and I can’t get over how good it is.
2. The Drums – Jonny
Jonny by The Drums came out on Friday the 13th in October. Yes, the Drums is one of my favorite bands of all time but I also believe that this album really came from Jonny’s heart and you could really feel his sincerity and vulnerability. I was stoked that he released “Pool God,” which he had only teased in an IG live during the pandemic in his cabin. He also features Rico Nasty on this album, which was a pleasant surprise. I will be attending his 3rd annual NYE show in Pomona!
1. Computerwife – Computerwife
Don’t sleep on Computerwife! Her first EP, which is also a self-titled, came out in 2020 and I really didn’t think she could top that. I’m not even quite sure how to describe her music but her new album in particular gives horror lofi indie vibes and it has eanred #1 on the list for the year. She has a bunch of demos on Soundcloud and I’m really glad that she’s been working on more music. I can’t wait for her to hit the West Coast to see her live.
EP Picks of 2023
La Texana – Morro
I first heard about Mexico-based La Texana from a tattoo artist in LA. That day, I was headed to Viva! Pomona, a small festival for up-and-coming bands, where La Texana frontman Josue Ramirez would be performing. I was blown away by the Spanish post-punk tunes that La Texana delivers and I was happy to hear his latest EP. My favorite track is “Trataré.”
Macabre Plaza – Dinner with an Old Puppet
It’s Wyatt Shears again on this list. Macabre Plaza is a little more of that loungewave that you hear occasionally on his Enjoy project. I’m glad to see so many Vada Vada artists and friends on T&O. They really never seem to get a break from music.
Puerta Negra – Playa Sola
Puerta Negra released their synth-punk EP Playa Sola earlier this year. The duo offer heavy dance tunes with their iconic shouting for any darkwave dance floor. I’m really glad to see more dope Spanish speaking goth artists.
Slater – Beneath the Motel
Slater released his 6 track EP Beneath the Motel in early May. He really hasn’t missed on any of his releases. He also put out a deep cut album in December.
Compilations of 2023
Puzzle – Melodies Of Yesterday (2012-2016)
And more Vada Vada! Puzzle released his deep cuts album in late December. This Puzzle collection is really chill and features songs that were previously released on his Soundcloud.
Slater – Deep Cuts (2013-2017)
Slater has been one of my favorite artists since the pandemic era. I really enjoyed his first compilation album. I especially liked hearing more of the post punk tracks on it. He’s coming to Fresno in March so grab your tix!
Hope you liked what you read/heard. Thanks for reading up to this point. Have a happy new year.
– David 12/25/2023
From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free!
Tunes & Oats 